


Gambit

by jdrush



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Gen, Missing Scene
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-20
Updated: 2019-08-20
Packaged: 2020-09-19 04:40:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 669
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20325247
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jdrush/pseuds/jdrush
Summary: While passing time in the Soul Stone, Doctor Strange thinks on his actions that brought him there.





	Gambit

**Author's Note:**

> RATING: PG, if that  
WARNINGS: Spoilers for “Avengers: Endgame”  
AUTHOR'S NOTES: Inspired by Peter Parker's line in “Endgame” about Doctor Strange calling them to action. Still not sure about this one, but the idea came to me, so I figured I'd throw it out there. No betas were harmed in the making of this fic.

Stephen awoke with a start, confused, uncertain where he was. It was always the same. After a moment or two he'd remember. He had been here before, after all. Fourteen million, six hundred and four times before, to be exact.

But this time felt different. This was it. This would be the right one. He didn't know how he knew. He just. . .KNEW. This time he had done the one thing he swore he would never do--he had voluntarily given the Time Stone to Thanos, to save the life of the man who could save them all. It was the only thing he hadn't tried, the only thing he could think to do.

It HAD to work, because Stephen was all out of ideas.

He sat and waited, watching as the others arrived. Some he knew, some he didn't, some he had fought and died with. There was King T'Challa, tall and dignified, even in death. The Winter Soldier, his countenance oddly calm, almost relieved. Scarlet Witch, glowing red with anger and hatred. The Falcon, highly alert, still prepared to fight. Drax, obviously perplexed, trying to understand what had happened. Peter Quill, utterly broken, dropping to his knees and hugging a spindly plant-like creature, whose soft, "I am Groot?" caused the man to burst into tears. The kid, Peter Parker--Spider-Man as he had so proudly proclaimed. Once young, bright and full of life, now curled in upon himself, his shoulders shaking, each watery "I'm sorry I failed you, Mr. Stark" cutting through Stephen's heart.

He hated doing this to them, the pain and anguish he was putting them through. The alternative, however, was much worse, as he had seen--many, many times. This time he had gone all in, playing the game with the highest stakes imaginable. He would have to live with this choice for the rest of his life, if he ever got his life back. But as he had told Stark, there was no other way. He kept repeating it to himself like a mantra, like a prayer.

_"I'm sorry, Tony."_

Soon, others arrived. Thousands. Millions. Billions. Trillions. Beings from every corner of the universe. Stephen marveled at how the Stone was able to hold them all. Confused, scared, sad, lost, angry. They weren't part of Stephen's plan, but they would all benefit if it worked.

It had to work.

Standing up, he made his way over to Mantis. He didn't need to be an empath to see she was completely overwhelmed by the sheer amount of emotions she could feel around her. Taking her hand gently, he said, "I need you to do something for me." Looking around at the growing crowd, he added, "For them."

She glanced up at him with big, bewildered eyes. "What can I possibly do?" she replied, in a small, hesitant whisper.

"Put them to sleep," Stephen told her, adding a polite, "please."

"All of them?" she asked, incredulously.

He nodded. "Can you do it?"

"I. . .don't know?"

A small, encouraging smile. "Try."

"You, too?"

"No, I have to stay awake. And so do you."

She tilted her head, perplexed. "Why?"

"We'll know when it's time."

"Was this your plan?" she demanded. "That we fail?"

"We always fail. Maybe this time, we won't." _(There was no other way.)_

"So this is the ending you saw? The one we win?"

"Yes."_ (It has to work.)_

"This will fix everything?"

"Yes." _(No, not everything.)_

"And I'll get my family back?"

"Everyone will get their family back." _(I'm sorry, Tony. I'm so sorry.)_

With a shaky nod, Mantis knelt down, placed her hands on the ground and commanded in a loud, steady voice, "SLEEP!"

The sudden silence was frightening.

Mantis looked up at Stephen. "Now what?"

"We wait." He sat down gracefully and motioned to the place beside him. As Mantis joined him, he turned to her and smiled. "So. . .tell me about yourself and the Guardians."

And as Mantis's soft words washed over him, Stephen sat. And waited.

THE END


End file.
